Protesters apprehended after hindering motorists at a critical immigration facility, situated close to Chicago.
In the heart of suburban Chicago, tensions have been running high as protests against the surge of immigration enforcement continue. The latest incident occurred on Friday evening outside a federal immigration enforcement building, where demonstrators once again gathered.
The protest, part of a steady pushback against the administration's tactics, has seen regular participation, including Catholic nuns who pray during vigils. However, ICE officials have labeled the protesters as "rioters."
The Broadview Police Department did not immediately respond to messages on Friday, and local police have reportedly refused to answer multiple calls for assistance from federal law enforcement.
The Broadview site, a two-story building that has been used to temporarily hold immigrants before they're detained or deported, has had its windows covered with wood boards for weeks. On Friday, protesters tried to block vehicles outside the facility, with some attempting to prevent a car from exiting the facility's yard. This action was met with federal officers who deployed chemical agents, leading to clashes and the arrest of three individuals.
Among those taken into custody was Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old former journalist and Democratic candidate running for Congress in Illinois's 9th District in 2026. Abughazaleh was involved in protests at an ICE facility near Chicago and was violently thrown to the ground by federal agents during a demonstration against ICE practices earlier. On Friday, she was hit with tear gas during the clashes.
Authorities have stated that an officer fired because he feared for his life, pursuing a man with a history of reckless driving who had entered the country illegally. The man, Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, allegedly dragged an officer with his vehicle and remains at large.
Friday's protest included dozens of people carrying American flags and signs with the words "Hands off Chicago." Activists and local leaders have stepped up pushback to the surge of immigration agents in the Chicago area, with Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton expressing opposition to the Trump administration's tactics.
The clashes at the ICE facility in suburban Chicago serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in the United States.
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